Children’s Center Enrollment
The Orfalea Family and ASI Children’s Center provides quality early care and education services to Cal Poly students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members for children from 4 months of age through transitional kindergarten (TK).
Overview
Enrollment Priority
As the Children’s Center is partially funded by ASI student fees, children of students with dependents receive first priority for enrollment.
- 1st Priority: Cal Poly students
- 2nd Priority: Cal Poly faculty and staff
- 3rd Priority: Cal Poly alumni
- 4th Priority: Non-Cal Poly-affiliated community members
Tuition
Tuition reflects the teacher to child ratios of each classroom and the status of the parent (student, Cal Poly Affiliated, and non-Cal Poly affiliated (including Alumni). There is a one-time refundable deposit fee of $600 per child.
Subsidized services, through the California Department of Education and the California Department of Social Services, are available for low-income families affiliated with Cal Poly. Priority is given to low-income students with dependents. More information regarding subsidized care is available during the time of enrollment, as eligibility requirements change each fiscal year.
Scheduling
The Children’s Center is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.to 5:30 p.m. During summer term and academic breaks, operating hours change to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Children’s Center operates on an annual academic year enrollment contract (excluding summer term). At the time of enrollment, families will be offered a full-time Monday-Friday spot. Once all Monday-Friday spots have been exhausted, part time enrollment (Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday) may become available. At the time of a new contract, families may request an alternative schedule. Drop in and/or afterschool care are not available.
Non-Subsidized Cal Poly Student Families have flexible scheduling, within reason, to meet their class and study needs.
Subsidized Families: Schedules will be based on need and eligibility requirements set forth by either the California Department of Education (CDE) or the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
Waitlist Process
The Children’s Center cannot currently accommodate all those wishing to enroll their children, particularly in the infant and toddler rooms. Adding your child’s name to the waiting list is the first step to enrollment. Waiting list times vary but can exceed two years from the time an application is received. Enrollment availability each year is based on student with dependent enrollment and the number of currently enrolled children returning. Please note that enrollment is based on your child’s age being calculated in months, to accommodate Community Care Licensing requirements. Once a year, parents will receive a Waiting List Update Form via email to confirm their interest in remaining on the waiting list. When an appropriate opening becomes available, parents will be contacted via email to initiate the enrollment process, which includes a tour of the facility and enrollment conference.
- A non-refundable fee of $50 per child is required at the time the waiting list application is submitted. This fee does not guarantee enrollment.
- Applications for non-Cal Poly-affiliated families will not be accepted until after the child turns 3 years old.
The waiting list is open now through Nov. 30, 2026. Apply today with the Waiting list Application.
